Since the Revolutionary War, Americans in uniform have risked their lives to protect and promote democracy. With Veterans Day quickly approaching, let us take time to thank our service members for the sacrifices they’ve made, and renew our commitment to taking care of those who have fought tirelessly for our families and freedom.

Today, many of our returning veterans are facing challenges, whether it’s service-related injuries, Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), or readjusting to civilian life. Unfortunately, all are returning to a tough economy. That’s why I’ve introduced a pair of bills to help improve employment opportunities and strengthen employment rights for service members and veterans. 

I recently teamed up with Senator Mike Johanns (R-NE) to introduce the Helping Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans Return to Employment (HIRE) at Home Act. Our bipartisan bill would encourage states to accept a service member’s military training and experience as filling state certification and licensing requirements for jobs such as commercial truck drivers, certified nursing assistants, or emergency medical technicians. By introducing this bill, I hope we can help eliminate expensive and time-consuming classes and hurdles service members often face as they re-enter the workforce.

I’ve also worked with Senator Saxby Chambliss (R-GA) on the Service Member Employment Protection Act, which would strengthen employment rights for service members and veterans. Our bill would allow veterans to take time off without pay to receive treatment for service-related injuries. It would also suspend or bar companies who discriminate against returning veterans from receiving government contracts.  Finally, it would allow service members to pursue discrimination cases in federal court instead of in employer-forced arbitration.

While it’s impossible to articulate the scale of our gratitude for those who have sacrificed for our country, these bills are a small way we can honor those that have served. This Veterans Day, I hope you will all join me in thanking our veterans for their courage and service to our country.